San Cristobal La Punta Cigar - 1 Single

Good quality cigar, long lasting and great construction. Up there with the Bolivar Belicoso, maybe even better! Earthy, woody, hints of floral and sweetness.

Delicious after a light lunch. I hadnt tried a La Punta for years, so sampled one at Turmeaus lounge. Well aged and covered in bloom over its light and slightly rustic wrapper. The draw was easy with just a little resistance, but the smoke remained cool and delicious with a good burn. The first half was light-medium bodied and built up slightly in flavour also, with beautifully balanced waves of light roasted coffee, honey, toasted almond and soft pepper spice. The second half became much more medium bodied developing an oaky woodiness, dry grass and herbal notes with a small burst of spice at the end. Smoked it to my fingertips. Often overlooked, but these can be excellent and age beautifully.

Fantastic cigar. From easy cut to beautiful draw. First class. Burns extremely well, not too tight. Aroma is a woody blend. Definitely recommend.

Reviewed by Chuck Vaughan-Lloyd (May 2004) Length 5 1/2" x 52 ring gauge EAR October 2002 I had a unique opportunity last night to enjoy a totally new Cuban Cigar for my palate. A very good friend and True Lover of the Habanos Leaf sent me one of these to try with the simple request that I write a short review of my tasting notes. Let me say that those of you that do not have a MRN Book, that this cigar is a relative new introduction onto the Habanos scene and thus no preconceived ideas could be made as to what to expect. This line was launched in Havana in 1999. This is a completely new brand, not one that has been resurrected. The Belicoso had a smooth light chocolate brown wrapper, which I could not find any veins. It had a solid firm feel as I felt it and thought to myself that this cigar had been kept properly. I had not really let it rest much from its journey, but knew that my friend has always maintained his humidors extremely well. I cut the tip about ΒΌ down and tried a pre-draw and tasted a fine robust tobacco flavor. The foot toasted well and as I took the first draw of rich smoke into my mouth I immediately knew that this was going to be quite a cigar! I should back up just a bit and let you know that I was sitting at one of my favorite Cigar Bars (Famous Cigars & Elite Jazz) listening to a very nice acoustic Jazz band. I had the pleasure of enjoying a few rum and cokes while basking in the flavors of this cigar. I would describe the profile as having rich woody flavors with a definite strong tobacco taste. The cigar had nice complexities with hints of floral and mild citrus notes. I would describe this cigar as being full bodied. It displayed strong Habanos tobacco flavors throughout the entire cigar while at the same time it maintained a spiciness that was difficult to describe. Toward the end I noticed heavy notes of rich earthiness along with the woody flavors. The San Cristobal maintained an excellent burn and I made a mental note that it burned very slow while never needing a touchup. Overall it was a nicely flavored aromatic cigar with many characteristics of wood, floral, spice and earth. It was balanced and left a very nice aftertaste. I remember that it was my belief that long-term aging would bring out the subtle complexities even more. 14/15 APPEARANCE AND CONSTRUCTION 22/25 FLAVOR 22/25 SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS 32/35 OVERALL IMPRESSION Total Score: 90 This is an excellent cigar, and IMHO I enjoyed it much more than any of the recent Montecristo # 2's I've had over the past year. It should be known better, as it really caught my attention as a truly great cigar. San Cristobal Wood and tobacco.....YES !! Spicy....YES !! Descriptions for construction, draw, burn, taste situation etc....this is more like it. I have smoked more than a few of these....and it's described perfectly. Makes me want to light another...... Score: 8/10 Reviewed by Kevin R In my opinion this is what a review should be, concise enough without being abrupt, long enough to be informative, sets the scene and background, mentions previous smokes as comparisons. Good work, a gold star - and I even agree about the cigar. Score: 9.5/10 Reviewed by Richard Whitwell Excellent review from start to finish...very impressive. 9/10

This is a first class cigar. The draw is excellent and smoke full bodied, smooth and even. It is also very good value for a cigar of this quality.